Jeff Hughes
Jeff Hughes is a Northern Ireland international, who can play at left-back or on the left-hand side of midfield. He joined Bristol Rovers in an initial loan deal, with a view to a permanent move, on 27 March 2008, the same day as fellow loanee Wayne Andrews. In a bizarre twist of fate however, both players suffered season-ending injuries on their debuts for the club, Andrews in a first-team game against Yeovil Town and Hughes playing for the reserves. Hughes signed for Rovers permanently on June 6th 2008 for an undisclosed fee of over £100,000 and went on to make a total of 140 appearances for the club, 129 of those in the league, and scoring 30 times, 28 in the league. He was the first choice penalty taker for much of his time in Bristol. Career Jeff began his career as a junior with Northern Irish side Ballymena United, before moving on to his home town club, Larne, in 2002. After a year playing youth football at Larne he was promoted to the first-team squad and went on to make 47 appearances at left-back, scoring one goal for the club. In 2005 he was brought over to England by Lincoln City manager Keith Alexander, who also saw Jeff's potential as a midfielder rather than as an orthodox left-back. He made 63 league appearances for Lincoln in midfield and at the back, scoring eight goals in his two years with the club. Championship side Crystal Palace signed him in the summer of 2007, but he failed to establish himself as a first-team regular at the London club, and was sent out on loan to Peterborough United as well as Bristol Rovers during the 2007-08 season. He signed permanently that summer and scored his first goal for the Pirates in a 6-1 win over Hereford United on 23 August 2008. After three years as a Rovers player he was released from the club on the expiry of his contract in 2011, when he signed a two-year deal with Notts County. He went on to score twenty times for the Magpies in 89 league games, but left in 2013 to join Fleetwood Town. Career stats Record against Rovers Jeff has played against Rovers five times, winning once, drawing twice and losing on two occasions. The two defeats both came in the League Two Playoff semi-finals, when Rovers beat Lincoln 7–4 on aggregate to progress to the final at Wembley. His debut in senior football was against Bristol Rovers for Lincoln City in 2005. International appearances Jeff twice represented Northern Ireland at full international level, both games coming on a tour of the USA. In both matches he played alongside another former Rovers player in James Quinn. :N.B. Northern Ireland's score is always given first. (Source: 11v11.com) Category:Players Category:Defenders Category:Midfielders Category:Loaned players Category:Northern Irish internationals Category:29 May Category:Players born in 1985 Category:Players who joined in 2008 Category:Ballymena United Category:Larne Category:Lincoln City Category:Crystal Palace Category:Peterborough United Category:50+ league appearances Category:100+ league appearances Category:Notts County Category:Fleetwood Town